Kaze
by xXMotherRussiaXx
Summary: Toushirou Hitsugaya suddenly wakes up in the middle of nowhere...and there comes the girl, who seems awfully familiar...too familiar actually. Strange things begin to happen around her. From where does he know her? What will he do? Read and find out!


Chapter 1: Hospitality

He was standing there, with Hyorinmaru in his hand; unable to do anything…unable to protect his comrades…he was better off dead.

He reached out to them… they called his name, but their hands couldn't reach…he was dragged into the darkness and it was the last he saw of them…

Toushirou shuddered and woke up. His head hurt badly and he was covered in cold sweat. It was dark, wherever he was, but at the same time it didn't matter.

He lifted his head and collapsed back from sharp pain in his chest. He removed the blanket and noticed bandages all around his torso. Painful memories flooded his head and the realization of what happened almost threw him into utmost despair.

His eyes got used to the room, so he started gazing upon everything around him. The room was small, but warm and filled with fragrance of fresh flowers. There was a window with pale curtains that hung from a high ceiling. Excluding the bed he was lying on, there was no furniture at all. An ark led out of the room and was covered by a dark red piece of cloth that slightly wavered from small air breezes.

Toushirou sat up on his bed, overpowering the backbreaking pain, and tried to put his feet down. He didn't know where he was, or how he got there, or who got him out of that blood bath. It all didn't matter. He had to be sure they are safe; he had to bring them all back to Soul Society as he promised. Matsumoto, Ayasegawa, Madarame…every single one of them. Regret filled Toushirou's mind. He should have gone alone…he should have taken this mission by himself. Then this wouldn't have happened.

Collecting all his will in his feet, Toushirou tried to push himself out of the bed, when he heard footsteps behind the ark. He quickly moved back to where he was and covered himself with the blanket.

Through a small opening between the bed and the blanket, he saw a pair of feet marching towards him. They were wearing white socks and sandals, and he could also see part of the pants. They were black and broad, made from a light cloth. The person in front of him looked exactly like a shinigami.

The person stopped. For a moment or so, both of them didn't make any movements. Then Toushirou felt someone sitting down on the edge of the mattress and closed his eyes, while pretending to be asleep. He felt himself being lifted and put into a sitting position. Then a breeze of warm breath on his shoulder and a touch of soft hands on his chest… Toushirou shuddered and opened his eyes warily.

An eerie sight appeared in front of him. A small girl, presumably his age, with light auburn hair and emerald green eyes was in the process of untying the bandages on him, while dipping the new ones in a hot water tub. Her hair was shoulder length but from somewhere in between they were tied and extended into a thin, long braid.

The girl kept staring at Toushirou. And he kept staring at the girl. After a minute or so the girl moved back and said:"So…you regained your consciousness…ne?"

"Um…" Toushirou mumbled. Whoever that girl was, he was grateful to her for saving him.

"Etto…err…What's your name?" the girl suddenly changed the subject.

"H…Hitsugaya Toushirou…" he said, startled by the sudden question.

"Haha…your name fits your hair Shirou-chan! Your hair is white and our name means white. Hahaha…" the girl laughed and patted his head.

Toushirou got pissed off. Everyone in Soul society was making that joke, so it eventually stopped being funny. In addition to his head still hurting, his sense of humor didn't want to accept it.

"Stop it you…" he pushed her hand off his head "Do you have an idea who I am?! If you did, you wouldn't dare…"

"You're a captain, right?" the girl interrupted him with a straight face.

"How did you…" Toushirou wondered.

"It was stamped on you haori… well… what was left from it. But don't worry! I sewed it back in one piece!" the shinigami jumped off the bed and brought his haori, cleaned and sewed up neatly.

"Thank…you…" Toushirou had nothing else to say. While staring at the number 10 printed on his haori, his heart got stabbed by tiny needles. Yes, indeed he was a captain, but he didn't deserve to be one. What captain would let his subordinates…sacrifice their lives for him…

"No problem!" The girl smiled. Suddenly Toushirou felt his stomach curl. His heart skipped a beat or two and for a moment he couldn't breathe. That smile was so familiar, so …nostalgic. But it was impossible. This is the first time he sees this girl. Then why…

"Hey…are you ok" the shinigami touched his shoulder "you look pale"

"I'm fine…by the way; I don't even know your name…"

"Huh? I didn't say it?!" the girl was surprised "How rude of me…Ekhem…" she cleared her throat "My name is Shishiro Naomi, nice to meet you!"

"Um…mutual…what squad are you from?" Toushirou asked another question.

"Erm…um…" Naomi kept hesitating "Oh…10th squad!!! I think…"

"What do you mean **you think**?"

"…"

"…and can you read Japanese?"

"…yes, of course, what kind of question is that…'

"…then you have probably read the number on my haori…and could have made a better looking lie, don't you think?"

"…" Naomi blushed with anger. Toushirou was 10th squad's captain, because of his combat power and intellect. A prodigy, as everyone called him. This girl really pissed him off. Her naive and childish character totally contradicted the whole being of Hitsugaya Toushirou. He hated people like that.

"…anyway…stop asking me all these questions!!" Naomi jumped up "I don't ask you about your business so, you shouldn't be asking about…" she suddenly stopped.

"…mine" she finished looking at Toushirou's expression. It showed utmost despair and pain, although hidden, but still showing. Naomi sat next to him, and unconfidently put her hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry…I shouldn't have…"

"It's fine…"

"But..."

"I said its fine!"

Minutes passed and neither of them has said a word. Eventually Toushirou sat up and tried to get off the bed.

"Where are you going?" Naomi asked

"Outside. I need some fresh air." He already made his way towards the door when she stated.

"And if you were saying the truth…"

"…" hesitated Toushirou, Naomi couldn't see his face, or expression it was showing at that time. But he stopped and stood there, his back straight and strong. All his posture showed power and determination, not suitable for his age.

He put his hand on the wall and leaned on it. It was obvious he was in great pain, but he tried not to show it. Naomi was about to help him out, when he said:

"I was…on a mission. A mission given to me as a captain of the investigation squad. I took three people I could trust and…came here" he paused to take his breath "I shouldn't have done that. I should have gone alone…it is my entire fault they are…"

Toushirou lowered his eyes and continued.

"If they are still alive, I have to find them…and bring them back to Soul Society…it is my duty as the captain…and as a comrade…."

Naomi kept staring at him. There was an awkwardly long pause in their conversation. For a moment Toushirou even thought that she fell asleep when she suddenly said "You talk too much, I am confused!"

Toushirou sat there, dumbfounded by that statement. As he was about to burst screaming at her, she mumbled to herself.

"Although…I DID see three shinigami around other than that guy"

He ran up to her and grabbed her shoulders "WHERE?! Where did you see them?! How did they look?! Were they injured?! Were they fighting?! When did you last see…"

Toushirou stopped the question flood, because Naomi looked like she was going to faint. Her eyes were spinning from all the shaking that he gave her, so he let her go and sat beside impatiently.

After Naomi regained her normal state, she fixed her kimono and said:

"Sheesh! Shaking people randomly like that….don't you have any manners whatsoever?"

"Answer my question!" he ordered, then suddenly his tone became softer "…please"

"Fine, fine, just don't shake me anymore!" she took a deep breath "…When I was doing my everyday watch around this area, I heard screaming coming from behind the hill. Usually it is quite quiet around here but that day was different. Usually the only person screaming around here would be Miyako, but she doesn't come over a lot. Actually all people I know are so weird! They are absolutely calm when strange things happen. So where was I, oh yea. I got used to boring routine life, and I have no one to talk to, so I was very intrigued by the…"

"Oh for the love of… get to the point already, will you?!"

"Hey!! You know what…I'll stop talking at all…"

"Okay, okay I'm sorry…"

"You better be…"

A moment of awkward silence filled the room.

"Erm…where did I stop…Oh, yeah! I saw three shinigami leave this place. One of them was bold, loud and had weird eyes…"

"That's Madarame Ikkaku " Toushirou thought.

"…the other one was a pretty lady, with long copper-auburn hair and blue eyes! Also she had…well…how do I put it…huge forms…"

"That's Matsumoto for sure" Toushirou thought.

"…and the last one was just weird. At first I thought he was a girl, but when I found out he was a guy, I lost all my interest. I don't care whatsoever about transvestites."

Toushirou barely held back his chuckling "That's Ayasegawa,…khmkhmkhkm…a transvestite…haha….that's a good one…I should tell him that when I meet him…"

"Hey… what was so funny?" Naomi wondered

"Nothing, nothing…Did you see where did they leave to?" Toushirou barely pulled out the phrase from all the laughter.

"Yea…they got out of my territory to Kotaro's…'

"To who's?"

"Kotaro, he is my comrade…wait no….more of an acquaintance… wait wait… subordinate I would say!"

"Whoever he is to you, do you know where he lives?"

"Yea, I can lead you there if you want…"

She jumped off the bed and smiled at Toushirou."Put on your clothes and let's go. I'll wait for you outside" and saying that she ran out.

"Put on…my clothes?!" Toushirou mumbled and suddenly his face got ruby red.

He hasn't noticed that all this time he was walking around in his underwear. He quickly started dressing up. He was very thankful to Naomi for talking care of him…but that was going a little too far…


End file.
